Telly Reels (Wazdan): Slot Review & Theme:
Most often, Wazdan is known for venturing into slots with Oriental themes, but the developer has also been known to dabble with classic themed video slots as well. Telly Reels is just another example of this trend. Though the overall theme of Telly Reels is inspired by classic slot machines, this title has a unique twist. Not only are the classic symbols enhanced with luminescent neon tints, but the grid itself is also entirely authentic.
The background features a vast range of colors while beams of light shoot past the grid. The grid itself is based on an old television set with sliders that are presumably used for changing the volume, channel, and other settings. The soundtrack is an absolute hit, with an electronic funk sound that sounds strange but is an utter joy to the ears. This may be simplistic in its visual design, but it certainly does a fantastic job of enveloping players in its atmosphere.
Pay Table and Bet Sizes
The betting range of Telly Reels is suitable for both casual players and high rollers, with a minimum betting amount of $0.2 and a maximum of $100.
The symbols of Telly Reels have been designed with a dazzling touch of glamour. The low-paying symbols can include vibrant fruits such as plums, oranges, lemons, grapes, and cherries, offering 1x, 1.5x, 2x, 2.5x, and 3x payouts. The high-paying symbols consist of a bell, a 7, and a BAR logo, awarding 4x, 5x, and 10x payouts. To achieve these payouts, players must land at least 5 symbols of a kind within a winning line.
About Telly Reels
Despite the abundance of features within Telly Reels, the most alluring aspect of this video slot is the extremely customizable gameplay. Players can change the volatility rating with a single click thanks to Wazdan’s Volatility Level™ mechanic. Players can switch between low, medium, and high volatilities whenever they please; this doesn’t change the max win potential but slightly affects the hit rate and, in some cases, changes payout values.
The gameplay of Telly Reels takes place on a 5-reel by 4-row grid with 20 fixed paylines. Telly Reels also has an excellent RTP of 96.19%. Additionally, the maximum payout potential of this slot is fairly decent at 1,400x the base bet, which is also unaffected by changing the volatility.
Features of Telly Reels
Due to the immense number of dynamic bonus features within Telly Reels, the initial gameplay can be quite confusing. But after a few spins, players will have the entire game down to a tee. There are two types of bonus spins, with one containing a win multiplier while the other contains sticky wild symbols.
There are also unique features that correspond with the sliders alongside the grid; these sliders can lead to an instant payout and also affect how one of the free spin rounds is played. During the base game, players can rely on a gamble feature, wild symbols, and even a feature buy-in option to ensure there is never a dull moment.
Wild Symbols
The wild symbol clearly displays a text that reads “wild” upon it. This symbol may appear on all reels during the base game and free spins round. The wild symbol will not only substitute for all regular pay symbols, but it will also offer a 25x payout when landing 5 symbols of a kind within a winning line.
Mini Telly Bonus
Players will notice that Telly Reels has a set of sliders situated on the lower right of the gird. During the base game and free spins, players may land arrows on either of the 5 reels, while there are 5 sliders alongside the grid. Each slider corresponds with each reel, and landing an arrow symbol will move the respective slider in the corresponding direction. The sliders can only be moved up or down, and once all 5 sliders are on the same level, players will be awarded the mini telly bonus. Once activated, an instant cash prize reaching up to 10x the base bet will be received.
Telly Bonus Spins
Just above the slider section to the right of the grid, the bonus matrix table can be seen. During the base game, players may land star symbols, and the star symbol will then appear on the bonus matrix table. The bonus matrix table represents all poisons on the grid and thus has 5 reels and 4 rows. Each time a star symbol lands, the bonus matrix table will track the position it landed on within the grid by adding a star in the respective position on the table above the sliders. This means players must land at least 20-star symbols during the course of their gameplay to activate the telly bonus spins. Once activated, players will receive 10 free spins, and the wild symbol will remain sticky for the duration of the round. The wild symbols will take positions on the grid that correlate to the current formation of the sliders below the bonus matrix table.
Free Spins
The free spin round is activated in a much more straightforward manner. Players must land at least 3 scatter symbols anywhere across the grid to activate the feature. The scatter symbols are designed as a bonus wheel. During the free spin round, players can also land a special symbol that will award 3 additional free spins. Once the free spin round is activated, a bonus wheel will be displayed, offering segments with different free spin variations. The bonus wheel consists of 13 different segments, each one displaying one of the following features:
- Win Multiplier - 6 segments display 2x, 3x, or 5x multipliers, which will be applied to any win during the free spins feature.
- Random Wilds - 3 segments display 3, 4, and 5 random wilds, which will be added to the reels on each spin during the feature. Only 1 Random Wild can land on each reel at a time.
- Additional Free Spins - 2 segments display either 5 or 10 extra free spins, which will be added to the total tally.
- Infinite Multiplier - only 1 segment displays the infinite multiplier feature. This feature adds a progressive multiplier for the duration of the bonus game, which will increase by 1x after each win.
Gamble Feature
For all the risk-loving players, Wazdan has added not one, but two gamble features to Telly Reels. After each winning combination, players can choose to gamble their winning to double the value of their winnings. The gamble feature is extremely simple; it begins with a face-down card, and players must guess the color of the suit before it is revealed. The gamble feature can be used 7 consecutive times, with each turn doubling the last value. If players guess incorrectly, all winnings will be lost. Within the second gamble feature, players must select the right channel frequency by clicking on either the left or right switch. If you’re correct, a funny, short retro cartoon will be played on the TV. Moreover, the feature is also repeatable, allowing you to double your winnings up to 7 times in a row.
Feature Buy-in
Wazdan has cleverly catered to all the hasty players who aren’t willing to wait for the bonus round to activate naturally. Players can skip the base game and instantly access the telly bonus spins and free spins for a cost of 37x and 28x the base bet, respectively.
Summary
When loading Telly Reels for the first time, players may assume that this title is just another classic video slot. However, they couldn’t be more mistaken. Sure, the symbols are based on classic slot machines, but the gameplay is far from traditional. In fact, the dynamic features within the gameplay create a completely authentic experience, and while they may seem complicated, they are each highly rewarding and extremely pleasant to watch once they’re activated. It’s clear that Wazdan has taken a whole new angle in producing a classic video slot, as this title is about as modern as slots come.
